CITIZENS'  UNION. 


(PAMPHLET  No-  J) 

PUBLIC  BATHS 

AND 

LAVATORIES. 

"  We  demand  that  Baths  and  Lavatories  adequate  to  the  public  needs 
be  established." — Declaration  of  the  Citizen*'  Union. 


Qt  fleets : 

R.  FULTON  CUTTING,      .       .       .       .       .       .  Chairman. 

CHARLES  STEWART  SMI  I  1 1  Vice-chairman. 

J.  KENNEDY  TOD  Treasurer. 

JOHN  C.  CLARK,   Secretary. 

J.  B.  REYNOLDS,       .       .       Chairman  Executive  Committee. 


FOR  ADDITIONAL  COPIES  ADDRESS  COMMITTEE  ON  PRESS  AND  LITERATURE 


PUBLISHED  BY  THE  CITIZENS'  UNION, 
May,  1897, 
3!)  East  23d  Street, 

NEW  YORK  CITY. 

E  1 


ND^BGBOUND  LAVATORY  (INTERIOR),  CHARING  CROSS,  LONDON.      MOST  OF  THE  CONVENIENCES  ARE  SUPPLIED  AT  A  SMALL 
PEE.  USUALLY  TWO  CENTS.      SMALL  AS  THEY  ARE,  THESE  CHARGES  NEARLY  DEFRAY  THE  OPERATING  EXPENSES. 


PUBLIC  BATHS. 


Greater  New  York  will  have  a  population  of  over  three 
millions,  and  a  total  area  of  360  square  miles.  In  the 
cars,  in  the  public  schools,  on  the  ferries  and  in  all  places 
of  public  resort,  the  increasing  density  of  population  Contagions 
forces  this  question  upon  us:  What  provision  does  New  Diseases. 
York  City  make  to  prevent  the  spread  of  contagious  dis- 
ease? \Ye  quarantine  after  the  event.  We  make  excel- 
lent sanitary  regulations;  but  we  should  also  educate  the 
whole  people  in  habits  of  personal  cleanliness. 

The  Tenement  House  Commission  of  1894  declared 
that  bathing  (1)  preserved  health,  (2)  prevented  disease, 
and  (3)  cured  disease.  The  Commission  found  that  out 
of  a  total  population  of  255,033  whose  sanitary  conditions 
were  inspected,  only  306  persons  had  access  to  bath- 
rooms in  the  houses  in  which  they  lived.    It  said  that  „ 

,  ,   1  •    •  11  •  >0  Batl1 

the  bathing  habit  is,  nevertheless,  growing  among  the  Rooms. 

masses  of  the  people,  but  that  it  stands  greatly  in  need  of 
encouragement  by  the  erection  of  public  baths.  The 
Commission  believed  that  it  would  conduce  greatly  to  the 
public  health  if  Xew  York  should  follow  the  example  of 
many  of  the  cities  of  the  Old  World  and  open  municipal 
baths  in  the  crowded  districts,  and  it  recommended  the 
building,  at  the  beginning,  of  at  least  one  fully  equipped 
bathing  establishment  on  the  best  European  models,  with 
all  kinds  of  baths  at  moderate  charges. 

What  public  baths  does  Xew  York  provide  for  its  in- 
habitants? Xot  a  solitary  bath  open  all  the  year  round! 
The  only  baths  open  the  year  round  are  provided  by  pri-  Chanty, 
vate  charity.  The  oldest  of  these,  the  People's  Baths, 
tinder  the  management  of  the  New  York  Association  for 
Improving  the  Condition  of  the  Poor,  furnished  baths  for 
93,808  persons  in  the  year  1895-6.  The  Baron  de  Hirsch 
Baths  accommodated  57,779  persons  in  the  same  period. 
The  Riverside  Association  and  the  De  Milt  Dispensary 
also  provide  baths.    A  small  fee  is  charged  in  each  case. 


There  are  also  the  river  baths,  located  on  the  river  front, 
where  the  water  is  not  over  pure,  and  where  there  is  no  ac- 
commodation  for  a  cleansing  shower,  such  as  is  invariably 
provided  in  English  and  German  swimming  baths.  Each 
bath  cost  $13,000,  and  the  annual  expense  of  maintaining 
the  fifteen  now  in  use  is  $48,000.  Notwithstanding  their 
great  disadvantages,  they  are  extensively  patronized. 

Do  you  know  that  in  the  w  ee  k  ending  May  S,  1897,  347 
children  were  shut  out  from  the  Public  Schools  because 
of  measles,  diphtheria,  scarlet  fever,  croup,  whooping 
cough,  mumps,  contagious  eye  diseases,  parasitic  diseases 
of  head  and  body,  chicken-pox  and  skin  diseases?  These 
diseases  are  contagious,  and  your  ow  n  child  may  be  sit- 
ting by  the  side  of  another  in  these  schools.  Your  child 
catches  diphtheria,  brings  it  home,  and  your  other  chil- 
dren catch  it.  Bathing  is  one  of  the  best  preventives  of 
contagious  diseases. 

Compare  the  condition  of  New  York  with  that  of  Lon- 
don. Twenty-five  parishes  of  London  maintain  31  bath- 
ing establishments,  of  which  27  have  washhouses  in  con- 
nection with  them.  The  cost  of  17  of  these  baths  for 
which  figures  are  available  was  $2,784,385,  and  at  23  estab- 
lishments there  were  3,177.914  bathers  and  washers. 
None  of  these  baths  are  free,  the  fees  ranging  from  two 
cents  for  school  children  to  twelve  cents  for  a  first-class 
swimming  or  private  or  warm  bath. 

Islington,  the  largest  parish  in  London,  with  320,000 
people,  maintains  three  public  baths,  at  an  initial  outlay  of 
$529,514.  Xow  the  parish  proposes  to  erect  Turkish 
baths.  The  three  baths  were  used  by  721,575  persons  in 
the  year  ending  March  31,  1896.  Receipts  came  to  $45,- 
783,  and  working  expenses  amounted  to  $47,857. 

Liverpool's  eight  baths  cost  $779,299  and  were  used  by 
460,424  bathers,  while  Birmingham  spent  $372,996  on  five 
baths  which  accommodated  431,354  persons  in  the  last 
year. 


i 


Deptford  (London)  Public  Baths.  Wash-house-;  and  Municipal  Buildings, 
under  the  same  roof.    this  combination  enables  each  depart- 
ment to  effect  a  saving  in  initial  cost. 


German  cities  are  equally  careful  of  their  citizens.  Ber- 
lin has  two  magnificent  public  baths  which  cost  originally 
$259,482  and  accommodated  515,202  bathers  in  the  cur- 
rent year.  There  are  besides  these  several  semi-public 
baths  assisted  by  the  city,  and  a  number  of  river  baths. 

Stuttgart  spent  $333,200  on  a  bathing  establishment 
used  by  464,625  persons,  and  Hamburg  $214,438  on  four 
smaller  baths  with  a  total  attendance  of  329,485. 

With  the  bath  is  usually  combined  a  municipal  laundry. 
The  inconvenience  of  washing  day  is  reduced  to  a  mini- 
mum when  washing  is  carried  on  in  a  special  room,  well 


•entilated  and  drained,  with  centrifugal 


and 


mangles  turned  by  machinery. 

In  London,  Westminster's  Public  Library  adjoins  its 
public  baths,  and  Shoreditch  is  erecting  baths  and  library 
under  one  roof.  After  the  body  is  refreshed  and  invigor- 
ated by  a  warm  bath  or  a  cool  plunge,  the  recreation  of  the 
mind  is  more  eagerly  sought  for. 


German 
Cities. 


Public 
Laundry, 


Librarj. 


L 


Shoheiutch  (London)  Public  Bath-houses  \m>  a  I't 'ni.iv  Libbab^  indeb  rHK 

SAME  Book.     K>1  IMa  1  El»  Co>I  i,i  KM  I. 


Swimming 
Pools. 


Privacy. 


Two 
Parks. 


Deptford  is  putting  municipal  buildings  under  the  same 
roof  with  public  baths.  Another  combination  is  a  "dust 
destructor,"  which  will  heat  the  water  and  provide  power 
to  light  the  baths  by  electricity. 

The  English  bathing  establishment  is  not  considered 
complete  without  at  least  one  swimming  pool,  and  many 
of  the  larger  baths  contain  three. 

Yonkers,  Brookline,  Boston,  Chicago  and  Buffalo  are 
ahead  of  New  York  in  establishing  public  baths. 

You  know  that  many  of  your  neighbors'  children  have 
no  room  for  a  bath  tub  in  their  own  homes;  a  bath  de- 
mands privacy.  If,  then,  your  homes  are  not  large  enough 
for  a  bathroom,  why  not  favor  a  Bath  House  to  be  built 
by  the  city. 

In  May,  1892.  a  law  was  passed  allowing  any  city,  vil- 
lage or  town  to  establish  public  baths  if  it  wished.  A  po- 
litical ring  was  in  control  of  Xew  York.    Xo  baths. 

The  Tenement  House  Commission  secured  the  passage, 
among  other  laws,  of  one  (dated  April  II,  1895)  directing 
the  immediate  establishment  of  two  parks  on  the  East 
Side,  and  the  city  was  authorized  to  construct  municipal 
baths  in  connection  with  these  parks. 


In  1895  another  law  said  that  there  should  be  as  many 
baths  as  the  Board  of  Health  should  decide  necessary. 
In  April  of  the  same  year.  President  Wilson  decided  upon 
seven  sites,  and  requested  plans  and  studies  for  one  bath 
on  a  lot  50  x  100.  August  20,  1895,  the  plans  recom- 
mended by  the  Mayor's  Committee  were  approved. 

Hkalth  Department,  ) 
New  York.  Aug.  21.  1S95  \ 

Wm.  H.  Tolman.  Secretary,  etc., 

105  East  22d  S  reet,  New  York. 

Dear  Sir  : 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Health  of  the  Health  Department, 
held  August  20,  ib'95,  the  following  resolution  was  adopted  : 

"Resolved,  That  this  Board  hereby  approves  of  the  plans  for  a 
public  bathhouse  recently  submitted  to  it  by  the  Mayor's  Committee 
on  Public  Baths,  Water-closets  and  Urinals,  as  prepared  by  Messrs. 
*";.idy,  Berg  &  See.  Architects  and  Engineers  " 

(Signed,    EMMONS  CLARK, 

Secretary. 

March  25.  1896,  a  law  authorized  S200.000  for  free 

$200  000 

Public  Baths  and  Comfort  Stations,  but  compelled  their  'T~  ' 
location  in  a  public  park.  Popular  opposition  to  using  a 
single  inch  of  the  park  space  for  such  a  purpose  compelled 
its  withdrawal,  although  plans  for  a  bath  in  Tompkins 
Square  had  been  ordered  by  the  Mayor  and  had  been  ac- 
cepted by  General  C.  H.  T.  ColKs,  the  Commissioner  of 
Public  Works. 

Tune  5,  1896,  two  blocks  were  condemned  for  a  small 
park  by  the  Board  of  Street  Opening,  under  the  Tenement 
House  Commission  Small  Park  Law  of  1895.  At  the  in- 
stance of  Mayor  Strong,  because  he  realized  that  the  law 
of  1896  was  unworkable,  the  Board  requested  the  Depart- 
ment of  Public  Parks  to  set  aside  for  a  public  bath  the 
easterly  end  of  the  block  bounded  by  Suffolk,  Hester. 
Division  and  Norfolk  streets,  and  this  was  done. 

Condemnation  proceedings  are  slow.  In  April, 
1897,  an  act  was  passed  providing  for  the  acquisition  by  Thirty 
the  city  within  thirty  days  of  the  land  condemned  for  the 
two  parks  on  the  East  Side,  provided  for  under  the  law  of 
the  Tenement  House  Commission  passed  April,  1895.  At 
last  Xew  York  may  be  said  to  have  a  public  bath  in  view 


in  the  near  future.  The  site  has  been  selected,  and  ma\ 
be  acquired  within  thirty  days  at  the  ve  y  outside.  $2od,od  ) 
has  been  authorized,  and  plans  have  been  approve  1 
by  the  Commissioner  of  Public  Works. 

The  Citizens'  Union  is  in  favor  of  pushing  forward  the 
establishment  of  this  bath,  and  of  following-  this  up  with 
other  baths  in  the  crowded  sections. 


LAVATORIES. 


Pun  i>inn. 


Fe>\ 

Bafldings. 


Morality 

and 

Purity. 


In  the  City  of  Xew  York  there  is  no  provision  for  Lava- 
tories and  Public  Comfort  Stations  by  the  city,  outside  of 
the  public  parks,  although  semi-public  pnes  exist  in  office 
buildings,  ferries,  elevated  stations,  Brooklyn  Bridge,  sa- 
loons and  hotels.  Those  in  the  office  buildings  are  ac- 
cessible only  to  the  regular  occupiers.  At  the  ferries  and 
elevated  stations  one  is  obliged  to  buy  a  ticket  before 
using  the  conveniences.  At  the  Brooklyn  Bridge  a  no- 
tice is  put  up  on  the  Xew  York  side:  "Bridge  Passengers 
Only."  At  the  saloon,  nine  men  out  of  ten  feel  it  neces- 
sary to  buy  something  before  availing  themselves  of  the 
convenience,  while  the  hotels  are  at  the  service  of  the  reg- 
ular guests  only. 

European  and  English  cities  provide  lavatories, 
as  a  matter  of  course.  The  needs  of  Xew  York 
are  not  less  urgent  than  those  of  foreign  cities. 
In  the  tenement  house  districts  there  are  very  few 
buildings  where  there  is  a  water-closet  on  each  floor.  The 
usual  accommodations  are  a  row  of  water-closets  in  the 
court-yards  and  a  urinal  in  one  corner.  The  conditions 
are  again  complicated  by  the  fact  that  frequently  the  court- 
yard is  also  the  passage-way  for  the  occupants  of  a  rear 
tenement.  Under  the  very  best  conditions  such  arrange- 
ments are  unsanitary,  especially  when  used  by  ignorant  or 
careless  people.  But  apart  from  any  considerations  like 
these,  such  accommodations  are  a  constant  obstacle  to 
modesty  and  refinement.      All  through  the  tenement- 


house  district  are  shoals  of  children ;  hence  the  more  rea- 
son why  the  community  should  interest  itself  in  insisting 
that  everv  precaution  conducive  to  morality  and  purity 
should  be  taken  in  behalf  of  its  growing  citizenship. 

In  the  case  cf  two  classes  of  public  servants — the  Police- 
men and  the  Street  Cleaners— the  law  forbids  them  to  Polic(imei| 
enter  a  saloon  while  on  duty,  but  in  the  great  majority  of 
cases  thev  are  compelled  to  do  so  because  there  are  no 
public  lavatories  in  their  vicinity. 


Copy  ight,  1897 ,  hy  the  Mayor's  Committee. 

Proposed  Underground  Public  Comfort  Station,  Greeley  Square.    It  will, 
be  noted  that  the  park  effect  will  not  be  disturbed,  but  at  the 
same  time  a  much  needed  public  convenience  will  be  supplied. 


Ample 
Provision. 


Bureau  of 

Public 

Comfort. 


Plans  have-  already  been  accepted,  and  the  authorization 
secured  of  $200,000,  for  the  erection  of  buildings  for  pub- 
lic comfort  in  New  York  City. 

The  Citizens'  Union  favors  such  action  a>  will  enable 
the  citizenship  of  New  York  to  avail  itself  of  this  law, 
and  urges: 

1.  The  duplication  of  the  conveniences  in  the  parks 
and  the  enlargement  of  those  already  built. 

2.  The  ample  provision  of  conveniences  for  women  as 
well  as  for  men. 

3.  The  opening  of  a  sufficient  number  of  underground 
lavatories  at  the  entrance  of  the  parks  and  in  or  near  the 
crowded  th< >r<  tughfares. 

4.  That  all  public  buildings,  as  far  as  practicable,  which 
are  the  property  of  the  city  should  be  provided  with  lava- 
tory accommodations  on  a  generous  scale,  for  the  use  of 
the  public. 

A  certain  part  of  each  Public  Comfort  Station  should  be 
free,  in  order  that  necessitous  cases  max  be  relieved.  For 
the  remaining  part,  a  fee'should  be  charged,  which  sum 
will  contribute  toward  the  operating  expenses. 

Each  lavatory  should  be  in  charge  of  a  sufficient  num- 
ber of  paid  attendants,  and  should  be  under  the  jurisdic- 
tion of  the  Board  of  Health,  under  a  sub-department  to 
be  known  as  the  Bureau  of  Public  Comfort. 


IE*  ICtbrta 

SEYMOUR  DURST 

AVEWYj 
DURST/ 


